Sometimes I see the world as an Apprentice episode.

The Apprentice is my favorite show. There is a clearly defined goal, and the team that achieves it best wins. The manager of the losing team faces Donald Trump, bringing up to three other members of his team (usually the ones responsible for the loss) with him. The Donald grills the manager and his teammates, then fires one of them.

This morning I encountered two different fundraising efforts for the same cause. On my yogurt container, it says if I send them back the lid, they will give 10 cents to the breast cancer foundation.

Let me get this straight.

If I give (at least, not counting packaging) 49 cents to Canada Post, breast cancer research gets 10 cents. Isn’t it better if I pick up the phone and donate 49 cents to cancer research?

While I’m pondering this, I see a TV ad for Mix 96’s Shave to Save campaign. They are encouraging people to get a bunch of their workmates together, convince at least one woman from the office to have her head shaved, and raise 2000$ for breast cancer research, and they’ll send a celebrity to shave said head.

Oh, and they’re taking the hair and making wigs for cancer patients with it.

This campaign raised over 350,000$ last year. It would take 3.5 million lids for Yoplait’s campaign to achieve this. One out of each 10 Canadians buying the right yogurt, packaging the lid, going to the post office and mailing it out.

Hm. Guess who’s fired in my book?

(lightspeed note #1: I am not criticizing Yoplait’s good intentions for getting involved in this worthy cause, only their methods. I think more corporations should behave like good citizens. So if you don’t know anyone who wants to shave their head, by all means send Yoplait a lid. Or donate the packaging and shipping money it would take you to do so.

lightspeed note #2: The Apprentice airs tonight at 9 PM EST on NBC)